Chris Weidman knocks out Silva to claim UFC title

Every single mixed martial arts fan is familiar with Anderson Silva; his style, technique and composure are just some of the things which have made him one of the greatest fighters and champions to have ever lived.

The most notable aspect of Silva is definitely his taunting, as he attempts to get inside the heads of his opponents - but unfortunately for Anderson, that all came back to haunt him.

UFC 162 took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in front of over 12,000 fans, and it is safe to say that almost none of them would have expected to see what happened inside that octagon in the main event.

Top contender Chris Weidman was seen as the next fighter in line who would try and fail to dethrone ‘The Spider’ as Silva has disposed of countless fighters aiming to snatch that title from him. But Weidman finally closed the curtain on Silva’s legendary UFC run in what will probably go down as one of the most iconic knockdowns in UFC history.

Silva has been able to get away with a lot in his career, some habits which other coaches may find intolerable, but because he has been just that good he is able to continue. However, Weidman has finally put an end to that as he took advantage of Silva letting his guard down and taunting, only to hit a vicious left-hook on Silva.

That signalled the end; it took 1:18 in round two to finish off Silva and his patience finally paid off. The fans couldn’t believe it and many still won’t believe it just yet: Chris Weidman is the new UFC Middleweight Champion.

Weidman did believe that he could finish off Silva, especially since Silva was taunting rather than keeping his guard up.

He told Joe Rogan after the bout: “It p****s me off when someone tries to do that to me. I just knew little by little, I was going to creep on him, and when he slept, I was going to get him.”

And he did just that, teaching every fighter a lesson that no matter how good you think you are, keep those hands up. So, does this mean we could see a potential rematch between the two?

Probably not, in the post-fight press conference he told the fans: “My legacy for the belt is finished tonight.”

Retirement? A long-vacation? Either way Anderson Silva has already signed a 10-fight deal with the UFC. Whether he opts to honour that it remains to be seen, but we cannot rule out a retirement either. Now that he has the pressure of being called the greatest mixed martial artist of all time off his shoulders, perhaps he can move on.

After a loss, a super-fight with either UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre or UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones doesn’t make any sense, so at the moment they can be firmly ruled out.

So what is the next best thing for Silva? A lengthy vacation where he can then come back and work his way to the title again, or even set up a clash with fellow Middleweight Michael Bisping in England, which would prove to be a sell-out event in the UK.

After winning countless fights, entertaining us fans for years and piling up the money, Silva does not have anything to really prove and could easily call it a day and still go down as one of the best.

What do you think Anderson Silva will do after his first loss in seven years? Have your say in the comments below.

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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